Shiroinazuma: Awakening
by Karrin Akisha
Summary: June Ishida lived her entire life oblivious to her own dark and sordid past until a series of unfortunate events erupt with her at the center. Now curious to uncover the truth about her mysterious past, she sets out on a journey that will awaken something residing within her, and inevitably, starts a war of supernatural proportions. (Rated Mature for Sexual Situations and Language)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note & Update** **: This story was on a hiatus because one, I have severe cases of OCD. Two, I realized I was going about it the wrong way. Three: I was struck with a better idea. I hope. I had to go back to the drawing board and now that I have I think I know the direction I want to go. I'm so sorry for the wait and I hope you all forgive me. Here's the correction: I'm not retelling or reimagining the established Bleach material. I'm writing a Bleach Roshomon Effect: contradictory interpretations of the same event by different people. In addition to adding a few AU tidbits here and there. But again, I am deeply sorry for the wait.**

 **Thank you for checking out Shiroinazuma: Awakening. Included within are a range of genres from WTF moments to Romance to Fluff to Tasteful Sex to Angst to Humor to Tears and lots of Drama because who doesn't like Drama? Shiroinazuma begins one year prior to the 'Agent of the Shinigami' arc and will weave through the main as well as the filler arcs and possibly the movies if I have time. However, the stories based on the movies will be offside stories just as the movies seemed to be to the whole.**

 **I am sticking to modern day speech and clothes with the human characters and referring to Japanese honorifics and clothing with the Shinigami. I hope it doesn't confuse too much but it's to establish the differences between the Japanese Feudal era of Soul Society, and the Human World's modern times.**

 **If I flub on something super-duper ridiculously crucial and it's something my canon-hammer partner missed when we combed through the different chapters, please let me know. I have no problem changing it and I am 100% open to constructive criticism.**

 **I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Feedback and criticism (not senseless flaming) is greatly appreciated as it helps me craft something entertaining for you all to read.**

 **Special thanks to CrimsonSkiesVII (my canon-hammer) for sitting through endless re-readings and brainstorming. Without him I'd be lost to the depths of my own dark mind. And thank you for all that have stopped by to check this out. You guys are an amazing lot.**

 **DISCLAIMER** **: I don't own Bleach or any other aspects that seem familiar in mainstream media. Only the OCs in the story are mine and mine alone.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 1

Karakura Town.

It was a small borough on the fringes of Tokyo with an average-sized population that on this particular summer's eve seemed to be out and about just to enjoy the remainder of the summer before school officially began again. From the local street fair that was going on there was an air of celebration that, accompanied with the soft sounds of the gently flowing river that bordered the west side of the town, colored the light breeze that made even the trees dance with cheer. In addition, the sweltering heat was waning to a more tolerable degree and even the sky above Karakura reflected the whimsical ambiance as it was streaked with marshmallow clouds that reflected the remnants of the setting sun's cotton candy colored light.

But amidst the shuffling feet and celebratory atmosphere lied something more sinister unbeknownst to the innocent townsfolk. Karakura hosted a sickness that lurked just on the fringe of the picture perfect visage; a creeping darkness that plagued those particularly receptive to its effects. The town itself was situated on a special waypoint that possessed the greatest concentration of spiritual beings, which lured everything from grotesque masked creatures of the night seeking to devour the souls of the living; to guardians clad in black sworn to protect humans against those monstrous beings and lay deceased souls to rest; to those just seeking refuge from the powers that be. Throughout its sordid history, Karakura Town had become a clandestine battleground for the strange and unexplained. Some would even say the town was haunted, or cursed, as was some its inhabitants.

However, the events that were about to unfold would be the catalyst that would set into motion a great war that would blur the boundaries between the natural and the ethereal. It would be the sole impetus that will bind those friend and foe against a common enemy; and bring together some of the mightiest forces and greatest warriors the world has ever seen.

And it all started with the woman with snow white hair.

In northern Karakura on an old wooden bench in Yumisawa Children's Park sat that very same snow-haired woman in a modern pink lace kimono styled dress and white flat shoes on her petite feet, her soft sapphire eyes as bright and innocent as they could manage. Accompanying her was a bespectacled young teenage boy with fair skin and chin-length black hair framing both sides of his face. The woman looked more reserved than the teen as her legs were calmly crossed and her hands resting gracefully on her knee while the loose strands of alabaster silk fluttered across her face. The teen next to her, however, looked a bit more angsty as he shuffled idly in his seat, looking a bit weary of his deceptively harmonious surroundings.

"Junie?" The teen croaked urgently in his prepubescent voice, glancing over his shoulder to what could be construed to an average human as nothing but a park slowly emptying of its inhabitants. "Maybe we should head home for the day. It's getting pretty late."

"Uryū." June cooed her little brother's name gingerly as she let her eyes flutter shut, keeping a firm hold over her maturity and calm. "You worry too much. It's a wonderful evening and should be enjoyed as such. Don't you agree?"

"But…" the teen tried to protest with pleading eyes before June turned her beautiful and serene smile his way, the sight of it only quelling the turmoil within him only somewhat as their eyes met.

" _But_ nothing." She stood firm. "Now, relax and enjoy the evening." The woman delicately tapped the tip of his nose playfully to divert his attention, which failed somewhat, but managed to get a small smile to crack across his lips. "The summer's almost over and you won't get another opportunity like this until next summer with your heavy schedule. Plus, Father doesn't even know were here. So enjoy it, okay?" She faced forwards and drew in a breath, releasing the cherry blossom scented air through her nostrils as she let her eyes flutter shut again.

However calm and mature her visage seemed to the teen boy next to her, deep down even _she_ was getting terribly antsy. She could feel the pressured weight of exactly what Uryū seemed to be looking at and drawing attention to, but specifically chose not to acknowledge its existence for fear that if she acknowledged _it_ , _it_ would acknowledge _her_.

You see, June Ishida thinks she was born with what she considered to be this unnatural ability to see things past what the normal eye could see and could sense things the average human couldn't. She was only four when she'd encountered her first Plus; the ghost of a young boy whom she'd known from the day care that had died in a fatal car crash nearby her home. June had been too young to understand why exactly she could engage him, and when she'd tell her mother about the child she always seemed to ensconce a concerned look before explaining that she was just 'seeing things' and that the boy couldn't possibly be real. Her mother would then take her out for ice cream in an attempt to help June forget about her troubles. However, June knew her mother was hiding something. She could see it the uncertainty in her eyes.

That was all before she had decided to ignore her sixth sense and try to life her life normally; which seemed to work until just recently, when she started to take notice of the white masked creatures whose red-eyed and eerily horrifying gaze would make even the burliest of men shake in their boots. She'd been chased home countless times from her job as a nurse under her father at Karakura Hospital just to hide in the darkness of her closet, crying herself to sleep within the safety of her own haven. Not to mention all the other mysterious occurrences happening around her that only she seemed to notice. Like the candy shop owner with the green and white striped hat and wooden clogs, talking to a black cat with golden eyes that seemed to speak in return as they shared secrets amidst the backdrop of the evening sky.

June began to have her suspicions she was suffering from the same diseased insanity her mother had contracted before she committed seppuku with her own blade until today, when everything seemed entirely too corporeal to be a simple hallucination created by her subconscious mind; or be the consequence of having some sort of hallucinatory mental disorder.

 _It's just a dream, June. It's not really there. There's nothing there and Uryū is just seeing things. That's it. Just our imaginations playing with us. That's all…_

"Junie!" Uryū started to frantically tap on his elder sister's arm, knocking her from her thoughts as now; he was completely turned around and wide eyed, wildly gesturing to the materializing hollow behind them. "Seriously! We need to go! NOW!"

June huffed and finally whirled around in her seat to see what he was up in arms about; her crystal clear sapphires growing to the size of silver dollars at what she saw. The small park began to fill with the sound of cracking bark as the trees were virtually being uprooted from their resting places; accompanied by the frenzied wails of whatever stragglers were left in the park as they ran for their lives in every which direction. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as a large centipede-like hollow with what seemed like endless tentacles materialized right in front of June's eyes and released an ear piercing cry.

The situation switched between what June thought could possibly be a hallucination into a grounded reality when the hollow landed on his feet and shrieked again into the evening atmosphere, sending a gusting shockwave of wind their direction, forcing both June and Uryū to shield their eyes from the splinters threatening to blind them. When its sights set directly on June and began to lumber in their direction, she knew then that maybe she wasn't as crazy as she'd originally thought.

June quickly turned to Uryū and grabbed his wrist tightly, her calm façade melting like ice on a hot summer sidewalk as her fight or flight response kicked in.

"Okay! You're right! I agree! TIME TO GO!"

June yanked her little brother off the bench and started running at lightning speed away from the scene with him in tow. Uryū stumbled clumsily behind her, her speed and agile footwork a little too fast for him to gather his balance. The hollow growled and continued the chase after them, snarling and bearing teeth too sharp for its own good. June led them around a blind corner and without knowing, to a dead end culminating at a brick wall that was just entirely too high and too smooth for either of them to scale.

It was the end of the line as the duo turned and pressed their backs against the concrete, staring up with fear filled expressions.

Uryū had been sternly and repeatedly warned by his father not to unleash his Quincy powers in front of June. His explanation was that June never developed Quincy powers like her brother and he didn't want any additional trauma to be cast upon his innocent princess. He further explained after Uryū trained with Sōken Ishida, Ryūken's father, that her welfare and safety was the reason he'd retired, and purposefully kept whatever Quincy lineage she might have had from her. Uryū never understood this as he constantly argued that she could clearly see the very same things they could; or even be a Quincy herself if Ryūken would just let her train; and it was times like this that he deeply wished he could break free without reprimand to dispatch the threat to their lives. Just to prove to his sister that she wasn't as crazy as she thought she was, and like their father led her on to believe.

As much as Uryū despised Ryūken and wanted to tempt his own fate for every tear she'd shed because of the lies he'd forced upon her, Uryū cared for June more. Keeping her in the dark about the world beyond this one would save her the trouble of getting herself involved and possibly killed, which was the intended goal. He felt he had a duty to June since he couldn't save his own mother. However, Uryū didn't even get the chance to be her hero as he was swiftly knocked aside by a fast moving tentacle and hurled into a nearby tree, which splintered upon impact and sent his body skittering across the ground before he stopped just twenty feet from her.

He was hurt, that was for sure as he groaned in pain and rolled onto his stomach in a vain attempt to try to regroup from the injury to his spine and the sting of various splinters lodged under his tender skin. But it had been too late by the sound of June's ear shattering scream that echoed through the empty park.

"JUNIE! NOOOOO!" Uryū cried out as he struggled to stand against the hollow's immense spiritual pressure that held him in place.

He watched in wide eyed horror as the hollow wrapped a slimy appendage around June's throat and lifted her high off the ground. June clawed desperately at the tough skin of the grey tentacle as best she could with her blunted nails as she could feel the immediate onset of lightheadedness. The pain of choking to death became immense, and her lungs started to burn with a lack of oxygen as she mustered whatever energy she could to desperately fight off the creature by thrashing whatever limbs had been free.

As warm tears hung in Uryū's eyes and indecision momentarily rendered him paralyzed, he dreadfully watched June's face go from a beautiful peach color to a ghastly white and her limbs lose their vigor only to fall limp at her sides. This was the woman who'd been the only one to be there for him in the aftermath of his mother's death. This was his sister, the very same woman he'd loved more than his mother. Watching her die an excruciating death coupled with the fear of losing the only thing he'd had left in this world had been enough to break the promise he'd made to Ryūken. He extended his right arm out in front of him as he began to channel his Reishi with a dangerous look behind his glasses, his Quincy cross dangling from his wrist starting to glow a bright blue. But what he witnessed June do next had surprised him beyond words.

It's said that every spiritual being and human has a certain amount of spirit energy, called their Reiryoku. A human's Reiryoku manifests and increases rapidly when the soul of the human is in danger of being destroyed. Those with such an above-average level of Reiryoku are very rare among living Humans. And it seemed to be that the most basic ability that Humans with a higher level of Reiryoku had was the ability to see ghosts: Pluses, Shinigami, and Hollow alike.

That is… in theory of course.

June knew her days were drawing to a close by the way the black flecks expanded in her vision and how she could feel her windpipe collapsing under the sheer strength of this masked leviathan. As the burn of her lungs became less arduous, her blood froze in her system. The darkness threatening to swallow her hole crept on the edges of her consciousness, dragging her closer and closer to her inevitable death. The panic coursing through her veins didn't help either, and sent her mind into the worst possible scenario.

This was the end. She'd come to grips that she would join her mother in the afterlife.

 _No! I can't… go… not yet._

June knew deep down in her very essence she **had** to survive this. She **had** to live. She had to live to keep her promise to Uryū _and_ his mother, to protect him from their Father. There was no question about it. How she'd manage to escape from this with him she wasn't sure, but she fought against that darkness with all she had.

That was all until the damndest thing happened. The turning point that would change her life forever.

 _Awaken, Mother. Awaken your soul and protect me… You must protect **him** … You must protect **us** …_

The silky baritone sounded from somewhere within June's inner self and in all honesty, she hadn't a clue who or what it was. Did this beastly thing trying to kill her know her name? And if so, why did it call her _mother_? How was it talking? Can these things talk? And how was she hearing it in the first place? Was she really going crazy? All she could physically make out was the slowing thud of her heartbeat as it tried desperately to overwork itself to keep her alive. It was then and only then when she followed the advice of the voice within, it hit her like a bolt of lightning.

Yes, a bolt of lightning.

As the wind picked up around the trio and the hollow closed in to draw her very soul out of her fleshy vessel, Uryū was forced to shield his eyes from the debris the growling wind had begun to pelt him with. And just as soon as the wind had arrived, so did the darkened mass of angry clouds above them. It was so thick it shielded out the rising full moon completely, casting the dimly lit grassy knoll into twilit darkness. Uryū couldn't believe this as his body hit the ground from the immense and foreign spiritual pressure erupting from the location where June had been held.

Before Uryū's eyes a white flash rained down from the heavens and blinded him, forcing him to take cover in the blades of grass rustling from the now gale force winds. He covered his ears from the ear shattering crack that echoed for what felt like miles over the town. Even the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as the electricity crackling through the cyclone had become so thick he thought he'd be killed by electrocution for sure. That, or be struck by a stray bolt of that white lightning from the clouds that hovered overhead.

Another crack of lightning and Uryū felt his senses deaden. A buzzing from going completely deaf rang in his ears as he chanced a look over the log that had casually rolled by, his concern centered on the woman that he was sure had died. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the hollow's mask cracking down the center, its mouth agape with a painful screech, and the tentacles that had once been used as weapons fading out of existence. Once the hollow had completely phased out, Uryū caught sight of June's unconscious form as it hit the concrete below her with what the teen could tell just by his sparse medical knowledge alone, was a fatal thud.

"JUNIE!" Uryū cried out so loudly he could feel the vocal chords in his throat pop with the force behind it although not being able to hear it.

With both spiritual pressures now completely dissipated, that and he hadn't noticed the world around them had returned back to its tranquil state, he was able to lift his thin build off the grass and on his hands and knees to scamper to June's side. He pulled her into his lap and expected smoke to be seen swirling off her and at best, her body burnt beyond recognition. In all actuality, Uryū expected to see nothing but a blackened corpse with only shreds of the beautiful pink dress he'd specifically made for her on her 21st birthday visible over the charred remains. But what reality had presented him with had given him a run for his own sanity.

The woman that Uryū thought had seen her last days in the natural world was completely unscathed save for a bruise materializing around her throat like a macabre choker necklace, and one of her pink painted nails chipped from tangoing with the hollow's tentacles. Her clothes had been burnt in places, and she'd lost a shoe somewhere. But to his immediate relief she was breathing, albeit shallow, and her eyelids seemed to flutter the moment her body made contact with his. Tears of delight and relief rained upon her dirt streaked face as Uryū poured out his emotions in deep sobs while clutching her form to his own.

What Uryū hadn't noticed in his moment of respite were three Soul Reapers, the guardians clad in black as June had dubbed them, appearing at the end of a Shunpo maneuver far enough away as not to make their presence known to the Quincy siblings.

The Soul Reaper on the far right had shoulder length crimson hair and bore the outfit of the Onmitsukidō, or her own variation of it. Her upper shihakushō hung loose amid her ample bosom that allowed her naturally darker skin to glow in the moonlight as she crossed her bare and muscular arms under her bust. The one on the far left, who had been the obvious petite one as her stature didn't even stack up near the other two, had cropped raven hair that seemed to blend with the night as she pocketed her denreishinki and rested a ready hand on the hilt of her sword, the white cloth from her Lieutenant's badge a stark contrast against the black of her upper arm. The one in the middle, a slender and sickly looking man who towered over both women, had long silky white hair that fluttered behind them in the breeze, his stark white haori reflecting the air of authority he seemed to exude as the three of them silently and individually assessed the situation.

The man rested his hand on the petite woman's shoulder, giving her a silent cue before speaking quietly, a soft smile warming his pale face. "The threat has passed, Kuchiki Fukutaichou. There's no need to unsheathe your weapon."

"There's _always_ reason to unsheathe your weapon, Ukitake Taichou." The red headed woman muttered softly as she rested a hand on her cocked hip, trying not to seem disrespectful in the presence of one of the few captains she actually respected and a man who'd been her friend growing up.

"This isn't a time for _fighting_ , Kaizoku-kun!" Rukia quietly scolded as she leaned forward to glare at the woman from around her Captain, "In addition, there's nothing here anymore to fight!" Her attention then turned to her Captain as the other woman snorted and turned her head. "You think that woman with that white hair… did this?"

Ukitake sighed softly and folded his arms over his broad chest, his dark eyebrows furrowing, and his eyes settling on the young man lifting his unconscious sister into his arms to carry her away. "Yes, it would seem so. However, with the new information that has just come to light, I think its best we report back to Yamamoto Soutaichou. He's going to want to know what happened here."

"We could just you know, follow through with our mission and ignore this little episode. It would solve _all_ our problems. The Quincy are of no concern anymore." Again, the red headed woman mumbled as she shifted anxiously on her feet, watching the siblings disappear into the distance with a worried, yet thoughtful look; her attention catching onto two other visitors to this spectacle. But she paid them no mind as not to reveal their presence.

Rukia began to retort before Ukitake chuckled softly, taking his Lieutenant off guard and drawing the other Soul Reaper's attention back to him. "You have a point, Kaizoku-kun. It would create much less paperwork on our part. But consider this: this human woman, the daughter of a **Quincy** , summoned lightning without any special abilities or crosses, gave off a great amount of spiritual pressure that even affected _us_ as seasoned Soul Reapers, _and_ destroyed a hollow without a weapon. Don't you think that calls for a deeper investigation?"

Kirei looked up into the man's eyes, sighing softly as deep down inside she knew he'd been right. The woman turned forwards, her eyes scanning the area idly as she picked up on another familiar presence so faint and oddly familiar she figured the Captain and Lieutenant wouldn't have noticed it unless they were focusing. "You're right, Jūshie Senpai. But… something doesn't seem right about this at all. Something seems… off. The residual spiritual energy-"

Rukia frowned deeply and again glared over at Kirei, putting her hands on her slender hips. "Taichous should _always_ be referred to by their rank, _not_ their first names!"

That comment alone triggered Kirei's buried anger and she abruptly turned to the shorter woman, also resting both hands on her much fuller hips, her face contorting into one of scorn. "No one asked _you_ , Kuchiki-Fukutaichou. What I call my Senpai is _my_ damn business, so keep your noble shit to yourself, okay? This ain't Soul Society."

Ukitake breathed an exasperated sigh as he'd known, and had been casually warned by the Eighth Division's Captain, that bringing both women on this mission was going to cause this particular kind of problem because of their rocky history that stemmed back to their Shin'ō Academy days. But he'd needed both of their particular brands of expertise and it couldn't be helped. Rukia had an uncanny knack for tracking hollows, which they had been chasing the hollow named Grand Fisher for a few days now. Despite Kirei Kaizoku's outfit she was actually a member of the 11th division under Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and a damn good tank with her strong Hakuda and pristine Zanjutsu abilities. Nevertheless, he found himself sadly regretting the decision.

"Ladies…" Ukitake sighed softly in calm warning and put his hands up, blocking both women from immediately tearing into each other.

"SHOW SOME RESPECT!" Rukia yelled around Ukitake's hand in her face, her eyes now cut to slits as the glare on her face intensified.

"Whatcha gonna do?! Tell your _nii-sama_?! Seems like that's all you ever do to get your way, Kuchiki-san! Damn nobles…" Kirei took the hint from her Senpai and backed down after the low blow to her fellow Soul Reaper.

"You little b-" Rukia's scathing insult was cut off by Ukitake sternly clearing his throat and as after Kirei's verbal sucker punch, he'd found himself hitting the limit of his patience.

" _Both_ of you need to learn _how_ to get along and it _must_ happen sooner than later, you both understand?" Ukitake put his hands down as he cut steely glances to both women who were now pouting with their backs turned to each other. "A mission in the Human World is no place to open old wounds. Now, I know you both have animosity towards each other for whatever the reason may be, but you _both_ are on the same team." He sighed softly before the smile warming his face returned and reflected in his tone. "You both are two of the most important people in my life and my deepest hope is that you'll get along… _someday_." Ukitake rested a hand on both their shoulders. "Regardless, we should be getting back."

"Yeeeees, Ukitake Taichou." Both women responded sullen and remorseful before turning their backs to the scene of the attack, and shooting each other similar knowing looks around their Captain's back as they both had similar thoughts planting seeds in their brains.

Rukia extended her sword outwards into what seemed like thin air before giving it a half twist, using her zanpakutō as a key to open the senkaimon back to Soul Society. Soft light illuminated the area before yet another shoji door behind that opened, releasing three Jigokuchō to guide them through the Dangai. Kirei's landed on her shoulder as the other two fluttered ahead, and the trio disappeared through the illumination, the doors closing and cutting off all light to the area.

Once the illumination faded and revealed to be perched in the shadows to avoid being detected by those same Soul Reapers, was a mysterious man in a green and white striped hat and clogs, his arms crossed over his broad chest and the shadow of his hat hiding a perceptive yet emotional look deep within his eyes. Casually occupying a small tuft of grass next to his feet was the black cat June had seen him speaking to earlier, her tail now stilled behind her in sheer shock. A casual chuckle rumbled through his chest as he cut a glance down at the feline.

" _Now_ do you see what I mean, Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed in a keen understanding of the current situation as she was finally convinced of the truth in her old friend's words.

"Yes. I see." Yoruichi mused in that male voice that made Kisuke shudder in slight repulsion, "But now the question remains, Kisuke. What are _we_ going to do about it?"

Kisuke stayed silent for longer than he truly intended as his mind raced through a million scenarios as it always had in situations like this, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

"Nothing… _yet_." He stated simply as his eyes settled on the darkened spits of concrete where June just vanquished the hollow. "We wait until the right time before we make our move. If we move in too early, Ryūken will have his suspicions and will hide her from us. If we move in too late, I guarantee the Soul Reapers will have found her and executed her by then." Kisuke released a soft sigh as his entire demeanor changed, his head falling forwards in contrition. "I made a promise to Nami, Yoruichi. And this time, I intend to _keep_ it."

"Say no more, Kisuke." Yoruichi cooed softly to ease her companion's contrition before pausing, letting her mind assess the situation not as Kisuke's old friend, but as a former Soul Reaper Captain. "I'll check into a few things for you, alright? But, it's going to take some time. Can you and Tessai keep her out of trouble until then?"

"I can try. And thanks, Yoruichi. Just be careful." Kisuke lifted his gaze and buried the reservations he had with this entire situation, replacing the worry with a fictitious smile he was sure Yoruichi would see through. To which she did, but didn't question it.

Anyone that had known the two didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see the weight fall onto Kisuke's shoulders as he watched his dear friend trot off to wherever her little furry paws would carry her. Yoruichi Shihōin had always been there for him, even in times he wished she hadn't been. He'd loved her the moment he'd set eyes on her as a teen and she had been the driving force behind his life since day one. So to say he didn't love her tremendously was an understatement. He adored her more so than he rightfully should have and as he made his way back to the shop, he just hoped he wasn't dragging her into something that would inevitably get her killed.

On the other side of Karakura Town, Uryū checked June into the hospital and allowed a nurse to treat his splinter wounds, his eyes lowered and his arms deliberately crossed as he casually awaited the vicious argument that would most certainly erupt between he and his Father over the welfare of Ryūken's most precious possession: his Princess; the girl with the snow white hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : Hey again. You're back? That's freaking awesome! Thanks for reading and favoriting. Seriously. You guys are beautiful people. I'm going to try to update chapters on a regular basis for ya. "Try," being the key word here as I have school and such.**

 **But what did you think about June? She's a fighter and totally awesome and she just doesn't know it yet. Sorry the last chapter was all over the place, but I wanted to establish a few things and a few important people that will definitely pop back up later. Well, here's chapter two.**

 **Feedback (not flaming) is greatly appreciated as it helps me craft something entertaining. If something seems off about the story, let me know and I'll change it. I'm open for it.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or any other aspects that seem familiar in mainstream media. Only the OCs Kirei Kaizoku and June Ishida in the story are mine and mine alone.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 2

This particular day in Soul Society was shaping up to be a gorgeous one. The sun was high and bright amidst a crystal blue sea; the sky completely clear of any obstructions that would damper the sheer and natural beauty. In addition, a light breeze whispered through the blooming cherry blossoms, gently tugging the delicate pink flowers from their branches and carrying them along the wind. The breeze brought the right amount of chill to offset the warmth of the sun, creating a day right out of an oil painting.

Amidst the tranquility delicately swirling about the Kuchiki Manor courtyard, the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan and Captain of the Sixth Division was knelt behind a small table. In his hand was a calligraphy brush and in front of him, a leather bound book as the parchment and a small ink well. Expertly he swirled impeccable black brushstrokes on the stark white pages, filling the personal tome with random musings from past mission notes to ideas for the Calligraphy club. Every now and then, he'd casually tuck a jet black strand behind his ear as the breeze seemed to disrupt the soft raven silk that fell around his shoulders.

Byakuya Kuchiki wondered if he should indulge in the placid atmosphere and meditate. His meditations, which were supposed to consist of mental spiritual training to harness the harmony within to aid him in battle, had instead turned into the key that never failed to unlock a dark place within him. It had become the proverbial needle in his arm, tearing open the long since inflicted wound and flooded his veins with a venomous guilt that had been the strength behind his battlefield focus. It had become the drug of choice that kept his feet moving, kept his skills sharp, and had been the temporary solution to patch the damaged shards that had been the cause of his outward stoicism.

It was the memory of his late wife, Lady Hisana Kuchiki.

Byakuya's meditations whisked him away to a different time in his broken life; a time where he couldn't have been happier just to wake in the morning. Although he'd shattered the very rules that his family were sworn to uphold just by marrying the commoner from the Rukongai, there had been something about that woman, something that held his attention when she'd insisted on straying away to find her sister. Maybe it was the way her hair seemed to glitter in the moonlight as they walked under the curtain of twilight. Maybe it was in the way her hand seemed to fit perfectly with his as they laced their fingers together. Maybe it was in the way they made love wildly and without abandon.

Oh how Byakuya loathed the loneliness he'd been cast into upon her death. Yes, it was true he honored his late wife's wishes and found her sister at Shin'ō Academy. And with a heavy heart he graciously, and despite his grandfather's stern disapproval, accepted the petite mini-Hisana into his home, into his family, and into his life. But that had been the end of it. He'd avoided her like she'd been afflicted with a plague. Byakuya Kuchiki paid handsomely for her lessons, paid even more handsomely for her training. He'd shoveled out generous amounts of kan time and time again just to avoid staring into the eyes of a woman that seemed to mirror the same brand of blind devotion his dead wife possessed. It was a sweet devotion that although he craved desperately to have in his life again, he felt guilty for not being able to return.

Thankfully, meditations weren't on the checklist for the day and he decided to keep that wound closed until the pain it would inflict was needed most. During battle. That and he had been interrupted by the presence of an old friend.

"Kuchiki-dono." An aging and white-haired man, only known to the family as the Cleric, slowly knelt in at the edge of the grass, lowering his head in respect for his elegant master.

At the sound of the familiar voice Byakuya calmly sat his brush down on the table with a soft click and cut the man an acknowledging glance from the corner of his eye. "What is it?"

The Cleric paused for a moment before lifting his eyes to meet his Lord's. "You have been called to a special Taichou's meeting. I was sent to inform you that it's… _mandatory_." He'd rattled off the last part in remorse before his eyebrows knitted in consternation.

Byakuya breathed as frustrated sigh and delicately pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. Not only was it fairly late in the modest afternoon to properly gather all of the Captains for this meeting, but it was _supposed_ to be the only day off for those exact captains. _Perhaps, not today,_ he mused. He nodded curtly before standing, scooping the book off the table and tucking it into the thin sash around his kimono.

"Then I shall promptly attend." His eyes slid shut in utter annoyance. "Perhaps nothing can be done to prevent it." Byakuya spoke in that same casual and detached manner as he breezed his way past the Cleric, the hem of his kimono billowing out softly around his legs.

The Cleric dutifully followed his master, staying the customary two steps behind him. "As you wish, Kuchiki-dono. Shall I inform Ginrei-dono that you will not be attending evening tea?"

That was a thought that had already grazed through Byakuya's mind, and all the response the Cleric had managed to catch was another curt nod and a light huff of displeasure before the door to his private chambers slid shut behind him. Within his dimly lit chambers and now standing in front of his bookcase, Byakuya slipped the book he'd been writing in earlier into the gaping hole he retrieved it from. From the corner of his eye, another similarly bound book with familiar golden letters permanently etched into the binding caught his attention. Their golden glint in the sunlight drew his fingers over the binding and with a soft sigh; he pulled the small journal out of its place and brushed his fingers over the dust coated cover.

 _Kasumi-sama…_

To prevent his mind from wandering to the heartache he still felt that would result to him being late to a meeting that necessitated his presence, he morosely slid the tome back into its slot with a deep thoughtfulness as he snatched up his Captain's haori and left his private study.

* * *

"KAAAAAIIIZZZOOOKKUU-KUUUUUUUNNNN!"

On the opposing side of the Seireitei from where Byakuya Kuchiki was fuming with a silent rage, the crimson haired 4th seat of the 11th division frowned slightly at the obnoxious boom of their captain's graveled voice that echoed through the hallways of the division's barracks and into the training room. It took her so off guard that Renji Abarai, her inferior and the 11th Division's 6th seat to her 4th, got off the kick he'd needed to win the late afternoon sparring match between them because to let 3rd seat Ikkaku Madarame be the judge, she was so kicking off in Renji's ass. All bets were always on her anyway as she was one of the best the division had in their repertoire. As his foot connected with her jaw, Kirei's head subsequently snapped to the side and she landed right on her face to the displeased shouts of their spectators.

Kirei groaned softly into the pliable mat as she had known the sound of her Captain's lumbering and labored footsteps almost as well as a daughter would know her angry father's. No, she hadn't been related to this man to her knowledge in any way or raised by him, but she'd been in trouble with him enough times to know his particular brand of raging anger. As Kirei awaited her scolding, he burst through the door and stood there, tall and brooding as always. His subordinates cringed at the mere size of him and cleared a path straight to the woman still recovering from the sucker kick on the floor.

The petite bells that hung on the edges of his spiked hair preceded the sound of his movement as he stormed over to the woman and simply lifted her up off the mat and off her feet by the collar of her shihakushō. Everyone around gasped lightly at what could be construed as unfair treatment because she was female, but she allowed herself to hang there in his grasp, staring defiantly into his uncovered eye with a look of mixed emotions in her own lavender grey's. She knew showing any ounce of fear to this man would cause her a serious demotion; or landing a blow on her captain in this setting would cause a fight she'd inevitably lose; however, she genuinely respected her Captain enough not to attempt to fight back physically. But she'd be damned if she'd coward down in front of her division.

That was Kirei Kaizoku.

Kirei had been one of two women in the entire division: the other being her Lieutenant and reason she'd even made 4th seat in the first place before she even left Shin'ō Academy. Yachiru Kusajishi surprisingly fought for her to have a seated position within the 11th before completing the full curriculum due to her sheer strength and barbaric fighting style, which rivaled only the Captain himself. That and Yachi got away with it by telling the Captain that _it was to have someone fetch her food and girly things, since none of the men in the division were willing to embarrass themselves._ With that explanation and a roll of the eyes, Zaraki couldn't and wouldn't dare refuse.

Regardless, here she found herself in an intense stare-down with her Captain.

"You're comin' with me, damn it." He released her collar and stormed out of the room, his bells again being the only sound following him out the door since the entire room had become so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

As all eyes slowly swiveled to become transfixed on the crimson haired beauty, a smirk tugged the edge of her lip as she sucker kicked Renji in the chest so hard he hit the wall before she went trotting after her captain, leaving behind the sound of Renji's threats and more displeasure from the division.

Once away from the commotion in the training room, she found her Captain staring out into the grounds past the barracks with a frown crinkling the scar that trailed down the left side of his face. Kirei took her position next to her Captain, keeping her head lifted as not to again, show any weakness or guilt as she crossed her arms.

"Why, Kirei-kun? Why'd you go and piss off Kuchiki Fukutaichou again?" Kirei could tell by the wavering of his graveled voice that he was trying to hold back an amused laugh.

"Zaraki Taichou, she-"

Zaraki cut her off purposefully, letting the amused chuckle rumble through his chest. "Ya should have just kicked her ass and called it a day. Damn, they're a real pain in the ass. Do you know Kuchiki Taichou wants me to reprimand ya?"

The weight obviously lifted from Kirei's shoulders by the way she put her hands on her hips and her tone took one more of trust with her superior than guilt of incurring his wrath. "Trust me, Taichou. I was two seconds from it. She's got this fucked up noble attitude where everything has to go _her_ way and it pisses me off."

He turned to his 4th seat with an air of respect and perhaps what could be viewed as paternal care playing in his expression. "That's my girl. But, look. Next time wait 'til ya get back here. I'm tired of Kuchiki Taichou's shit and at least here, they got _me_ to contend with. And I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to ya."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kirei chuckled nervously before she rubbed the side of her neck. "Tell me something, Taichou. Why do you insist on manhandling me every time I get in trouble?"

Zaraki turned back to stare out, the smirk still curled on his lips. "That's an easy one. Just because yer female don't mean ya get treated any different than the rest of 'em. 'Cos those boneheads-"

"ZARAKI-TAICHOU!"

Both the Captain and Kirei grumbled a sigh of annoyance and rolled their eyes when they heard the sound of one of the lower seats high pitched voice ringing out into the afternoon. Kirei looked up at Zaraki in a silent plea, asking him if she could kick his ass and in response, he shook his head before the frown returned so that he could answer the man.

"What?" Zaraki grumbled as Kirei did her best to look like she'd just been chewed out.

"Yamamoto Soutaichou sent word of a mandatory Taichou's meeting." The man, who Kirei recognized was one of her own personal squad, huffed lightly as he spoke because he was definitely out of shape and because he'd interrupted then, she planned to run him around the compound.

"Yeah, yeah. Tell the old man I'll be there." Zaraki turned completely around and patted Kirei's shoulder once the man wandered back towards the barracks. "Now, go in there and kick Abarai's ass. He deserves it after that sucker punch. Make me proud, girl."

Without staying for a response, the Captain lumbered off and left Kirei to her thoughts. She rubbed her softly throbbing jaw in consternation, her thoughts moving between the spiritual pressure of that weird hollow in the World of the Living and how badly she was about to kick Renji's ass to embarrass him so he wouldn't want to contend with her ever again.

She picked the latter and stomped back into the barracks to a hail of cheering from her comrades.

* * *

Captain Jūshirō Ukitake's loud and blood soaked death rattle from the Ugendō Quarters could be heard all the way in the 13th Division's main meeting hall. Rukia frowned slightly at the disparaging sound as she released the Jigokuchō that had delivered the mandatory meeting orders. Deep down Rukia knew their Captain wasn't anywhere near up for the task. Ever since they'd gotten back from the World of the Living two days ago, he had been holed up in the homely hut towards the rear of the grounds coughing his lungs out. But the orders were classified as mandatory and the meeting _had_ been called on their behalf. Rukia felt that she should, at the very least, bring it to her Captain's attention and let him decide their fate.

But that woman from Karakura? Who was she? Why did she possess so much spiritual pressure for a human? Was she truly a Quincy? And how did she destroy that hollow without a Quincy cross? For the last two days, Rukia couldn't seem to get that woman _or_ the mission off her mind. She'd spent her nights up working late, sorting through books on rare occurrences and odd situations within the World of the Living _and_ the Seireitei. She even resorted to heading for Shin'ō Academy's massive library to research anything and everything she could find. And as much as she hated to admit it as her findings were nil to none, she resolved to begrudgingly admit that maybe Kaizoku was right. Something felt off about this entire situation. Something felt off about the hollow, about that teenage boy, and about the woman with the snow white hair. It had frustrated her so much that she broke Gotei 13 protocols and asked her brother for advice.

Without anything to go on since Byakuya kept his silence because it wasn't his particular mission to begin with, she even went to an unlikely source: a source she knew would at the very least have some information on oddities. A quick unsanctioned stop by Urahara Shop and a short conversation with Kisuke just added to the mystery brewing around them. Rukia had known Kisuke was withholding information from her by the way his smile became crooked as he sipped his tea, but what information, she couldn't put her finger on. As she meandered her way to her Captain's quarters, she vowed to get to the bottom of this before that woman hurt herself, hurt others, or gained herself a death sentence.

With a soft knock on the dark wooden doorjamb, Ukitake hid the now bloodstained kerchief as he called out for his visitor to enter. Rukia immediately fell to her knees in a respectful bow as she slid the door open and addressed her Captain.

"Ukitake Taichou. I've just received orders from Yamamoto Soutaichou that the meeting we requested will be today." Rukia kept her stance as she respectfully awaited her Captain to respond.

In her haste she hadn't realized he'd had another visitor, the Captain of the 8th Division, Shunsui Kyōraku and it was he that spoke up so Jūshirō could have a sip of his flavorful tea to placate his burning throat.

"Kuchiki Fukutaichou. So nice to see you today." Shunsui tipped his straw hat her way as he was reclined in front of the low table that sat betwixt the best friends.

Ukitake rolled the heavily scented liquid around on his tongue and after becoming pleased with its soothing results and aromatic taste, he lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure he called it for today?" He then gestured for Rukia to come in and close the door behind her.

"Kyōraku Taichou. It's nice to see you too." Rukia acknowledged the brown haired man and moved three feet forwards, keeping her respectful stance, and slid the door shut behind her. "Yes, Ukitake Taichou. He scheduled it for a half hour from now." Her eyes then lifted to her ailing superior. "Are you sure you can make it? If not-"

"I can make it, Rukia-san." His warm chuckle only calmed Rukia slightly. "Whatever happened that night in the World of the Living needs to be reported to the other Taichous by eyewitness accounts." Jūshirō took another sip of his favorite tea and sighed softly and sadly as his eyes moved to Shunsui. "I'm just afraid that once Genryūsai hears of this, he will hand out an execution order on the grounds that she is a danger to Soul Society."

"Naaaah." Shunsui waved his hand dismissively. "He'll probably just order you to bring her here so he can question her. Issuing an order like that on a human, let alone a Quincy, without any knowledge is bad for business, especially when we don't know what she's _really_ capable of." Shunsui stretched out and propped his hands under his head as he casually let his eyes slide shut.

"I hope you're right, Shunsui. She seems like a nice girl and it would be a shame to have to execute her." Jūshirō mulled morosely before finishing his tea and it was then that Rukia spoke up as her eyes widened.

"Can Soutaichou do that? Issue an execution order on a _human_?" Rukia cried out in discontent as she lifted those widened eyes.

In response, both men stayed contemplatively silent. They had known the Head Captain's temperament, as they both had experienced it firsthand during their training under his care and stories of the first Quincy War. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was a paranoid and aging man who would do anything to uphold the laws of Soul Society. This meant he'd take any action deemed necessary, even if it meant the execution of a possible threat on the grounds that it would upset the balance. It hadn't mattered who the threat was, even if it had been one of the Gotei 13's own Captains.

Ukitake sighed softly before nodding slowly. "Yes. Although it's unprecedented as humans are just souls waiting to be sent to hell or here, it's entirely possible."

Rukia lowered her eyes in sorrow as she could feel the determination growing within her again. Part of her wished she hadn't gone on that mission just so she wouldn't have known about the woman. Not that she'd met her personally, but they had been in the World of the Living and had come across her a few times. Rukia had crossed paths with her on her way to work, and killed a hollow or two that had chased her home on occasion. She'd even encountered her at Urahara's shop, but kept her distance as she was in fact, human, and probably couldn't even see her. Rukia felt akin to her in a way because she always seemed to be alone, and usually deep in thought. Whatever she was or was capable of, she didn't deserve death.

Ukitake chuckled softly, sensing his Lieutenant's deeper feelings. "Don't worry, Rukia-san. I don't think Genryūsai is feeling homicidal. So I think she's safe."

This brought a subtle joy to her heart before Shunsui spoke up again. "If you see Nana-chan, let her know that I know about the meeting and we both will be there."

"Yes sir." Rukia took that cue as her exit orders, bid the Captains farewell, and started her journey towards the Captain's Meeting Hall.

* * *

As the Captains slowly shuffled into the Meeting Hall and took their designated places with the even numbered captains to the Head Captain's right and the odd numbered captains on the left, there was light chatter filling the entire hall to the brim. To the surprise of the entire Gotei 13, Head Captain Yamamoto had also requested for the Lieutenants to attend the mandatory meeting, which caused more confused and surprised voices to thicken the air and add to the buzzing chatter. Not to mention the tensions were at an all-time high this afternoon because not one of the attendees really wanted to be there on their day off. The Meeting Hall had become a humming hive of moving shihakushōs, and only the sound of Yamamoto's wooden cane clacking against the surface of the floor called everyone to order.

"I know you are all wondering why I called this meeting on your day off." Yamamoto's deep, elder voice boomed through the room and Zaraki grumbled softly, "but the information that has been brought to my attention demands immediate action. Ukitake Taichou, report what you have found during your recent mission to the World of the Living."

To the disheartened and whispered complaints that erupted in the moment of silence, Rukia, who had been present for the meeting, gave her Captain a worried look as he lifted his head and took a breath before speaking.

"During a routine mission with my Fukutaichou and the 11th Division's 4th Seat to observe and track the hollow Grand Fisher, we noticed a large amount of spiritual pressure nearby. Assuming it was another Soul Reaper, we arrived to witness a hollow attacking a human. However, the human…" Jūshirō paused, taking the time to phrase this correctly as not to cause too much suspicion with the Head Captain, or any of the other Captains, leaving the Quincy assumption out of this, "the human exhibited unique supernatural powers, and defeated a hollow without a zanpakutō."

"You must be mistaken, Ukitake _Taichou_." It was Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the Captain of the 12th division who's nasally shrill sounded to the surprise of the other attendees as he dramatically flailed his hands about. "Humans are _far_ too weak to amass that amount of spiritual pressure. It's virtually impossible!"

The confusion and buzzing chatter erupted again and Yamamoto tapped his cane against the floor to call everyone back to order. Even Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes which usually stayed closed out of frustration and contempt for even being called to a circus such as this, shot open and his head lifted at Ukitake's report.

"That may be true." Ukitake replied once the chatter subsided as he tucked his hands in his sleeves. "But it's worth a deeper investigation before we come to any concrete conclusions."

"I agree with Ukitake Taichou." Sōsuke Aizen, Captain of the 5th Division, chimed in with his soft spoken, yet deceptively caring voice. "There's no need to resort to deeper measures when we don't know what we are dealing with. Perhaps we should assign someone to monitor her."

"Who do you suggest, Aizen Taichou?" Yamamoto aimed the question at Aizen as he opened one eye to get a good look at the bespectacled man.

Aizen smiled softly and bowed respectively in Ukitake's direction. "Though I believe that this falls under the jurisdiction of the 13th Division, given the current weakened state of Ukitake Taichou, I humbly offer the services of the 5th Division it its stead."

Captain Zaraki snorted from his location, glancing over his shoulder at Yachiru, who shrugged her tiny shoulders. The Lieutenants of the 9th and 10th Divisions, Shūhei Hisagi and Rangiku Matsumoto respectively, exchanged worried glances across the room in reference to Kirei's involvement with this and silently made a cue to grill her about it later over Sake. And although the Captain of the 3rd Division, Gin Ichimaru, stayed uncharacteristically silent on the matter, his smile widened a miniscule amount. Though miniscule, it had been enough to catch the attention of Nanao Ise, the Lieutenant of the 8th division. She looked up at her Captain with a worried look behind her glasses and his response was but a subtle nod of understanding.

Before Head Captain Yamamoto could utter even one order, a soft gust of wind fluttered the haori draped over his shoulders and no other than the Lieutenant of the 1st Division and Yamamoto's closest companion, Chōjirō Sasakibe, appeared next to his Captain on his knees. Resting comfortably in his lap was a fresh parchment, closed by a seal with the insignia of Central 46 cooled into the red wax. Without so much as a word spoken the Lieutenant graciously and gracefully offered the order to Yamamoto. Upon opening the scroll and with only a barely noticeable shift in his expression; Yamamoto huffed out a short breath and casually rolled the thin paper closed before setting it ablaze.

The entire room fell deadly and eerily silent as the ashes from the mysterious order rained down to the floor in front of the Head Captain and to say that all eyes, as well as all attention, was glued to their Head Captain was an understatement. It seemed that everyone had become suspicious and for good reason, too. The anticipation was so thick; you couldn't cut it with a zanpakutō.

Head Captain Yamamoto took into account the suspicion crackling through the air and stayed contemplatively quiet before he handed down the order. "As of this moment this matter has been sealed by the authority of Central 46 and I've just received their direct order. After taking into account Ukitake Taichou's condition, they have chosen Kuchiki Taichou to oversee this matter. He is to be dispatched to the World of the Living immediately to observe this woman until he receives further orders."

All eyes moved to the stoic and currently lieutenantless Captain of the 6th Division in a combination of jealousy, anger, awe, and surprise. Even Gin's eyes opened at Central 46's order as he was sure Head Captain would have assigned Aizen. Byakuya, however, could feel the tension in the room as his name was called out and deep within the apathetic man, he wanted to question Central 46's orders as well as all of their sanity. Why out of all the capable captains would Central 46 choose him, he'd never know. But now wasn't the time to argue.

"I understand, Soutaichou. I will head out at once." Byakuya replied with a bow, his long locks hiding a frustrated look on his features.

Another tap of Yamamoto's cane was the official dismissal of the meeting. As some of the Captains and Lieutenants offered support to Byakuya before making their way back to their respective divisions, Byakuya had a sneaking suspicion from the look in Rukia's eyes and how readily Aizen offered his squad that he'd been chosen for this mission for a reason.

And in a month's time that reason would manifest itself but until then, Byakuya Kuchiki wondered how much trouble could babysitting a human woman really be?


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey again. You're back? That's freaking awesome! Thanks for reading and favoriting. Seriously. You guys are beautiful people and I hope that I'm entertaining you to the best of my ability.**

 **What is Aizen up to? And who is this Kasumi person? And what the hell does Central 46 know? All will be revealed as time goes on but for now, the fun begins.**

 **Feedback (not flaming) is greatly appreciated as it helps me craft something entertaining.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or any other aspects that seem familiar in mainstream media. Only the OCs in the story are mine and mine alone.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 3

It had been an agonizing and protracted week since June had almost met her maker at the hands of the hollow from her deepest and darkest fears. It didn't feel like she was swallowing searing and broken glass anymore and as her health improved, so did her mood. From Ryūken's last official diagnosis there had been no permanent damage to her trachea and vocal chords and she was scheduled to make a complete recovery. But unbeknownst to her Uryū stayed diligent by her side, even into the dead of night against their father's wishes, attempting to atone for the deep seeded guilt over his failure to act on her behalf. Although the peach skin around her neck showed the telltale signs that she'd been attacked by something monstrous and her voice still sounded a little croaky here and there, she wasn't complaining in the least. June Ishida was just thankful that she'd escaped with her and Uryu's life, and a sliver of her sanity.

But surprisingly, her memory had again been lost somewhere in the swirling madness that was her life.

For the life of her, she just couldn't recount that night. No matter how much she strained her brain and tried to retrace her steps from the Ishida residence, to the park, then to the hospital; she came up empty handed every time. The only reason she'd suspected something had been amiss with the situation was that she'd catch a snippet of a feeling here and there when she wasn't pilfering through her mental file cabinet; had shocked herself when she'd touched the metal railing of her bed; or had woken in a cold sweat and gasping in the middle of the night from a nightmare where she was being strangled to death by a white masked creature. But none of what her brain was trying to cope with and process was concise enough to patch even a fragment of a memory of that night together.

It also didn't help that both Ryūken and Uryū's recounting about the event in question conflicted each other's to the point of deep suspicion. First it was that she fell down the stairs to her apartment, to which she argued that a fall like that wouldn't cause a bruise around her neck, discounting this explanation. Then it turned into that she was attacked by a rapist on her way home from work, which also made no sense since the police weren't involved and she still had her innocence. Finally, it settled on her being kidnapped and drugged by Yakuza.

Okay, that last one actually made June laugh at its ludicrousness, but it still sullied her improving mood.

June pleaded with the two men of her life on the verge of tears, virtually _begging_ them to give her the truth no matter how much they thought it would hurt her in the end. Their lack of honesty, which wasn't entirely new since they lied about almost everything in reference to anything about her or her past, irritated her so much that she checked herself out under the guise of night and decided to finish recuperating at home. She left a note saying that she'd purposefully checked herself out because she missed her independency as well as her bed, books, and a good cup of tea. However, the true meaning behind her hasty exit wasn't because of the softness of a bed or a floral brew.

June knew beyond a shadow of a doubt both Ishidas were hiding something vital from her, something that they vehemently didn't want her to know. Why they would hide _any_ details about how she ended up as the poster child for victim of the week was beyond her reasoning, but she could see it in Uryū's eyes because he was a terrible liar. He'd casually avert his eyes to his hands when she'd ask him a question about that night, only to return with some bullshit excuse as to why he either didn't remember himself, or deflected to the weather, or some other menial quirk. June would then press him with her persuasive tongue, only to have him stutter and say he had to go before quickly kissing her goodbye and running out of the room like he was late for dinner.

June was determined to get to the bottom of what did this to her and why, come hell or high water. The very next day she returned to the now closed children's park and was given very little clarity in the form of two large dark splotches on the ground. She brushed her fingers over the singed concrete in thoughtfulness, wondering if she was actually capable of doing something as tremendous as blackening concrete. The cause for something like this was yet another notch on the mental checklist she'd research at the library now that she was free of her medical captivity. June had been so focused on remembering the event and the reason behind the blackened concrete that she hadn't even noticed the devastation around her until now.

It looked like a hurricane whipped through the grassy knoll. The trees nearby that usually stood upright were leaning on their sides, some so forcibly upheaved that their roots had met the sun. Branches littered the area and from deeper investigation, some seemed as though they had been burnt off. Others seemed as though they were ripped from their locations. This confused June, as she could barely remember the evening before being so beautiful and serene. None of this made sense and she decided to go home for the day since her head began to throb so hard she could barely see.

June hoped going home and resting now that she'd gotten a better idea of what happened would help ease her mind and maybe, just maybe, her mind might release the seal on what was holding the memories hostage. But of course, anything that she might have remembered became mist through her fingers throughout the evening as she tried to grasp any sense of reality.

 _Maybe I **am** going crazy,_ she mused to herself as she laid in bed that night, her eyes blankly settled on the ceiling and fingers clutching her blanket so close to her form her knuckles resembled the color of her hair.

June could vividly remember the night her life changed forever and the flashback played in her mind. She could remember lying in her bed just as she was now but as a young child no older than five tender years of age, her eyes glued to the glass paned window and her attention out into the raging storm outside. June was scared beyond all belief at the sound rumbling through their home, and as if her mother had tapped into some maternal intuition, soon came into June's room and slid into bed with her daughter. Her mother hummed June's favorite lullaby to calm the cowering girl, covering her eyes to shield her from the flashes of light outside.

That had been the last time June could remember being that close to her mother as not long after June had fallen asleep in her mother's arms, there was a knock at the door. They were visited by two men in the dead of night; one in what June could remember was a white haori over a black kimono and the other wearing something wrapped around his upper arm whose black character on the wood resembled the one on the back of the haori. The men looked like something from the old samurai movies she would watch and even as a child, she'd instantly become weary of them. In fear she'd clung to her mother's leg, hiding her face. June didn't remember much of what the man in the haori said, except that he'd be back for June when she came of age.

That was about when the problems arose.

June had drifted off to sleep before her mind had the chance to pursue additional memories and in her unconscious state, her very conscious feet were instinctively preparing to jump start the journey that would blow the lid off of her Pandora's Box forever.

* * *

Rukia gritted her teeth as the insignia above the 11th's division barracks came into view. Not one ounce of the petite lieutenant wanted to be here or even be out this late because she knew her absence would worry her brother, but she urgently needed to speak to someone in particular. Someone she knew had caught onto something that Captain Ukitake hadn't that night; someone who would be the best person to aid her on her journey in case she ran into resistance; and someone she loathed more than she loathed the soggy, sickly sweet taste of bananas.

Of all the people she'd ever think she needed, right now, she needed 4th Seat Kirei Kaizoku.

Once gaining entrance to the compound, she made her way begrudgingly through to the Seated Officer's section and to her surprise; Kirei's door was ajar as the ambient light spilled into the darkened hallway like a beacon. Rukia pressed her back against the wall next to the door as she heard voices wafting out on the light breeze that whispered through the barracks. Was that… Nanao Ise? Rukia had known the two women were quite fond of each other as Nanao and Kirei had grown up in similar situations and considered each other sisters. However, to have Nanao out of her own abode and speaking to Kirei this late was cause for suspicion. The petite lieutenant held her breath as best she could, masked her spiritual pressure, and closed her eyes to focus on the conversation.

"…Really, Nana-chan? Are you _trying_ to write a check that neither of our asses can cash?" Knelt at the zataku that resided in the middle of her room the crimson 4th seat, dressed in a casual lavender kimono with white and pink flowers adorning the sleeves and lower hems, almost dropped her cup of sake at Nanao's choice of words. "Do you _realize_ what would happen to us when Soutaichou finds out? He'd bury us so far under the central underground prison that we would never see the light of fucking day. Ever. Again."

"That's why Soutaichou _won't_ find out, Rei-chan." Nanao gently bumped her spectacles farther up her nose with her middle digit as she gave Kirei a look of determination. "Besides, you already know Taichous Kyōraku, Ukitake, and Zaraki stand behind our decisions one hundred percent. Anything we do about this, they will fight for us and maybe…"

Kirei gave Nanao a look as she poured more of the dry sake into her small glass because damn it, she'd need another few with what Nanao was suggesting. "I get that. But fuck, Nan-chan. This is fucking heavy. You're asking me to go against everything I know."

"There you go with that word again. Heavy. Is there something wrong with the air around here?" Rukia's eyebrows immediately furrowed as her eyes shot open and subsequently narrowed at the amused full-bodied voice of no other than Renji Abarai, sounding like an idiot as usual. Her tiny fists balled in what could be conceived as jealousy as she glared at the wall while Renji continued. "Besides, maybe if Rei-chan goes to prison, I'd get her position."

Kirei immediately smacked Renji in the back of the head, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Shut up, fool. Adults are talking." Her tongue then poked out in a challenge to the twin crimson haired man because technically, she _was_ his superior although they were more like best friends than superior/inferior. They definitely had a history, and it showed when his tattooed eyebrows furrowed during the momentary stare-down contest; to which it was Renji who backed down. In response, Kirei snorted and with a victorious look in her eye and turned back to Nanao.

Nanao shook her head at the usual childish display between division members before sitting down in front of the table. "You have a point. But tell me what Seireitei law in specificity would we be breaking? In theory, we, as well as our Taichous, offered our support to Kuchiki Taichou and this is technically giving our support even if it's not particularly," she finger quoted, "transparent." Nanao paused, gathering her thoughts before she gently pushed her glasses up her nose again. Damn she needed to get them adjusted. "We'll have to start digging for ourselves if we want the complete truth. It's not going to be easy but in order to find the information we need to do our jobs to the best of our ability, we have to investigate. It's that simple."

Kirei sighed in resignation before taking back the cup of sake and gently sitting it on the table with a light frown, the liquid burning a warm and familiar trail down her esophagus. "Alright, Nana. You've made your point. But what about Baby Kuchiki? You know how snoopy _she_ is. She catches one wind of what we're planning… and it's over."

"She's gonna want in on it." Renji added as he took Kirei's sake bottle and downed a small swig of the precious swill. "Every day this week she's been up late researchin' shit about that woman. But I don't know how she feels working with _you_ , Rei-chan. She kinda hates your guts." A smirk tugged at Renji's lips before Kirei snatched the bottle from him with a death like glare Renji was sure would have killed him had it been tangible.

Did Rukia hear this right? Were they really following the trail of breadcrumbs as she was? What were they planning? How far down the rabbit hole were they planning to go? Maybe there was good reason for her to be here as much as she despised it. She tapped her chin with her mind dredged deep in thought. Accidentally, she slipped and let loose some of her spiritual pressure which caught the attention of everyone in Kirei's room. With a heavy sigh as she'd known Rukia's signature spiritual pressure like a chilly draft, Kirei was the one to call out to her first.

"Don't just fucking stand there, Kuchiki Fukutaichou. It's rude, you know. Damn nobles…" Kirei rubbed her cheek and shot Nanao a concerned look. Nanao just closed her eyes and nodded as the trio of conspirators waited for Rukia to make her grand entrance.

Rukia's eyes widened and she took an antagonizingly long moment before she peeked her head around the dark wooden doorjamb, her attention sweeping around the room as her eyes had a time adjusting to the light from being in the dark hall. The Lieutenant knew it was now or never, or whatever information she could potentially gather and the eager help would be lost forever. So she boldly stepped in and put her hands on her hips, her expression mildly scolding everyone in the room for having this pow-wow without her.

"So…" Rukia said with a smug smirk, "I have a plan to find out more about the woman with the snow white hair…"

* * *

As Rukia was explaining her findings and conspiring with the other shinigami to do something so drastic they might all get exiled for it, June awoke to a crisp nightly breeze crawling across her bare legs and hard, icy, concrete beneath her. In her groggy state-of-mind, she'd wondered if she'd left her window open or if she'd fallen asleep on the balcony again, which she'd been known to do from time to time. But when she lifted her head and took a look around, her surroundings shocked her to the point she scrambled to her feet and stumbled back against the adjacent concrete wall, her eyes widening at the eerily familiar scene unfolding in front of her.

That blackened concrete. Those broken trees. Even… that _bench_.

It felt like June had been whisked away from her humble apartment straight to the Land of Oz. There she found herself in her pink button down pajama shirt, barefooted, cold, and standing right in the same place where she was attacked just a week prior. June leaned against the wall and wrapped her arms around herself as her brain had severe trouble trying to process the gravity of her situation, or even the situation as a whole. As her mind finally broke and gave under the pressure, she slid down the wall and buried her face between her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs and allowing the tears that had been held in all week, to flow freely from her eyes.

June quickly worked herself into deep sobs as her chest shuddered with every labored gasp. And had she not been on the tail end of her episode she wouldn't have felt the hand that was gently rested between her shoulder blades and the voice she could faintly hear over the sound of her own thudding heart. The presence of someone next to her snapped her back to reality instantly and she suddenly shot to her feet. She'd turned in a blind direction and began to flee when she faceplanted…

 _…soft green fabric? The scent of soap, parchment, and musk…?_

June could feel strong arms loosely wrap around her and when she looked up to see who had been the mysterious stranger, the shock of where she was and how she'd even gotten here had been overshadowed by the gentle and obscured grey eyes she found herself staring into.

"I didn't mean to startle you Miss June." No other than Kisuke Urahara responded to June's shock as calmly as he could while a knowing smirk tugged at his lip and his tone took on that amused, cryptic air. "But I was in the neighborhood and thought you could use some candy."

June was paralyzed into wordlessness, a look of shock etched into her petite feminine features. Kisuke Urahara was a man she'd known since she was old enough to walk. He was one of those familiar faces like the man at the dry cleaners or from the bank; one that you'd say hi to, handled your business, and went along with your day. As a child she could recall being excited when her Mother took her by the shop because she knew she'd leave with a lollipop the size of her head. As her Mother visited with Kisuke because after all she helped him establish his shop, she would play with the bespectacled man with a hearty laugh who loved tossing her as high into the air as he could possibly achieve. One time, she even reached the height of the roof as her little arms flailed about.

June's sporadic relationship with the candy store owner thickened from mere friend of the family into surrogate uncle when he'd stepped in and helped June make the arrangements when her mother died under 'mysterious circumstances.' Before that he'd been the sole reason June hadn't been just another statistic of the foster care system and had been the one to deliver her to who had been named her biological father, Ryūken Ishida, in her mother's last will and testament.

Had it not been for this man; this creepy, perverted, ash blond, hat-and-clog wearing candy store owner who _always_ seemed to know more about everything and anything than he let on; she might have been adopted and taken out of the country. June had been grateful to Kisuke for saving her life, sure. But right now he was in her personal space and her patience level with him was rapidly dwindling.

As June's features twisted from shock to sheer annoyance, she felt something wasn't right with the way he looked and in an act of defiance, yanked herself from him as she folded her arms over her chest with a soft, yet bratty _hmph_.

"Candy my _ass_ , Kisuke. _What_ are you doing here?"

Kisuke chuckled softly and tipped his hat in her direction to playfully mock her, which annoyed her further as was their unending game. "Like I said, I was in the neighborhood." His eyes then lifted to the crystal clear night sky as he rested his cane on his shoulder and a hand on hers. "Listen, Miss June. You look a little cold right now and before I take you home, come by the shop and warm up with some tea with Tessai. He's been worried about you since you didn't show up to buy candy this week and you _owe_ him an explanation, you know."

June shivered lightly as it hadn't dawned on her how cold the night air truly was and that yes, she didn't show up either of the days she usually went by and spent some time with the burly man in the apron. In addition, she'd taken a liking to Jinta and Ururu, the two children that helped around the shop and subsequently lived there with the two men. A soft sigh ruffled the fringed alabaster silk that had fallen across her face as she acquiesced his request. A cup of tea and a warm blanket _did_ sound good at the moment.

"Alright. But… once I'm done, you take me _straight_ home." June poked a finger in his chest, trying to seem more threatening than her light voice made her seem.

Kisuke fought the shiver that traveled down his spine at the small discharge of electricity still coursing through her veins from the attack that even _he_ didn't think she knew about. "Yes ma'am. I'll even have Tessai come with us for protection, if it'll make you feel better."

June snorted out another _hmph_ before marching off in the direction of Urahara Shop with a chuckling Shopkeeper in tow.

Once there she was given a spare pair of clothes (which she had no clue had been her mother's spare shihakushō and deep green flowered haori) and after singing Jinta and Ururu a lullaby and tucking them tightly into their beds, she joined Tessai and Kisuke in his small, yet effective meeting room. This room had always smelt of secrets and lies to June. It was a room she had never wandered into, even when she'd gotten lost in his shop looking for her mother once as a toddler. Everything and nothing seemed off about the space, down to the dim lighting, lack of windows, and the round table in the middle. It almost felt like an interrogation room straight from some random crime drama as she walked in and knelt at the table. After a sip of the tea that had been placed in front of her by Tessai, which did make her feel a little better, she smiled softly at the man.

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Master Tessai. I was just…" The nervousness coursed through June's veins as she rubbed the dark bruise around her throat. "I was… attacked... by Yakuza?"

Kisuke's tea spewed from his nostrils whilst he broke out into obnoxious laughter and Tessai's eyebrows lifted at the obviously exaggerated explanation of her absence. June frowned after tossing a kerchief at Kisuke to clean the mess he'd made, thinking it wasn't all _that_ funny and that Kisuke was officially an asshole.

"Miss June." Tessai spoke softly as his counterpart continued to laugh loudly. "If you don't want to tell us what happened, that's alright. I was just worried about you when you didn't come by."

"NO NO, PLEASE GO ON!" Kisuke laughed louder as he fell backwards onto the floor, grabbing his now aching sides. "YOU'RE KILLING ME, MISS JUNE! YAKUZA!? SERIOUSLY!?"

"You know…" June shook her head and sighed softly. "For one, I hate you, Kisuke. Two…"

June stopped abruptly, her eyes widened slightly as she stared off into space. She seriously debated telling them the truth but shot it down as fast as it has graced her thoughts. Who would believe her broken tale of woe when it seemed more like a nightmare than reality at this point? June knew whatever her mind had finally recollected wasn't enough to form any semblance of what had truly happened at the hands of that monstrous being. All she could remember was that cold grip of death attempting to drag her down to the depths of the afterlife and how a voice called out to her, a voice she'd never heard in her life. That voice had been her savior or had it? She'd been so wrapped in her thoughts she hadn't realized the tears had begun to trickle from her red, sore, and puffy eyes again until Kisuke's serious tone voice cut through her pain and snapped her back into reality.

"What's wrong, Miss June? You know you can tell me and Tessai anything." Kisuke gave the burly man seated next to him a concerned look to which Tessai returned.

Covertly, Kisuke started to wonder if the situation was worse than he'd originally imagined as June wiped her eyes and through intermittent sniffles, relayed all the details she could remember about that night, and how she felt Ryūken and Uryū were hiding something from her. Then Kisuke and Tessai sat contemplatively quiet as she spilled her emotions and feelings out of sheer trust for the two protectors of her life, throwing her heart onto the table as she purged herself of her sorrows, woes, and of her nightmares. She relayed to the two men how it felt those very same nightmares were starting to turn into reality, and how she felt she might be going crazy just like her mother.

Kisuke didn't want to reveal to her everything he'd known for fear he'd exacerbate the situation mysteriously brewing around them even more than it already had been, but he knew he had to give her something before this woman he'd loved like she was his own ilk, followed her mother's road straight to the mental ward over situations that were completely normal for everyone around her, except **her**.

"There's something you need to know, Miss June." Kisuke kept his eyes diverted as Tessai took the cue, rose from his seat, planted a paternal kiss on the crown of June's head, and excused himself to let the two speak in private.

June stayed quiet as she watched Tessai leave before her eyes slowly swiveled back to Kisuke in confusion. Never in her life had she seen him so emotional or felt the raw emotion radiating from him across the table despite his usual cool outward demeanor.

"You know," he began, "your mother and I were very close as she'd been a good friend at a time when I needed her." He paused, taking a breath to keep his own personal emotions in check. "And before Nami died, she made me and Ryūken promise with our lives to keep you safe." Kisuke's obscured eyes met June's as his voice grew eerily cold, so cold it made June shiver. "You can't blame Ryūken for withholding information from you because you are his Princess. And you can't be mad at Uryū because he's just doing as he's told, to protect his sister." He paused to sip his lukewarm floral brew as June's eyebrows furrowed. "You're not going crazy, Miss June. Everything you've experienced up until now is quite normal for _you_. That, I can guarantee. But that night, as well as other specific events you can't particularly recall, is because the memories were purposefully locked away in your mind."

"WHAT!?" June exclaimed in shock before she covered her mouth as not to wake the sleeping children just down the hall. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "Are you saying I was drugged with something to forget? No… that can't be… They wouldn't do that would they?"

Kisuke's demeanor flipped back to its usual self as a small, sad chuckle rumbled through his chest. "No no, you weren't drugged." He paused as he began to think of how exactly he was going to go about this without getting her wrapped up farther into what her mother had truly been into. He sighed in resignation before speaking again making sure to divert all her ire towards him. At least then, he could explain that away without added fuel to the fire.

"You can't remember because _I_ locked those memories away."

June's jaw dropped so fast she thought it was going to fall right off her face. Did she hear him right? Did the man who'd watched over her all her life, the man she trusted more than she'd trusted Ryūken and Uryū, just tell her that he'd locked away her memories? Was that even _medically_ possible? The anger bubbled in her veins as she slammed her tea cup down so hard on the table the tea splattered out of it and a crack appeared at the bottom of the cup.

"Why? Why would you… just… WHY?" June's voice rose as she felt utterly betrayed, her trust with Kisuke cut deeper than she'd ever felt before.

It shattered Kisuke's heart to hear the conviction in her tone, but he carried on knowing now what he needed to do since the line he'd blurred on behalf of her mother would now become very clear to June.

"Like I said, it was to protect you."

"Listen, Kisuke." June tried to keep her anger buried as she spoke through gritted teeth. "I don't _need_ protection. I _need_ the truth. What do you know about my family? About _me_? WHAT DO YOU KNOW I DON'T KNOW?"

Kisuke sighed, dreading this moment more than he dreaded the exile he was forced into. He rubbed his stubble before giving June a look. "You realize if I reveal your past to you; unlock those memories deep inside that you so desperately want to know; it's going to open the Pandora's Box in your mind and the information could possibly lead to your death?"

"I don't _care_ , Kisuke." June lifted her burning eyes to meet his, her voice in a low growl. "I've been lied to entirely too much over the course of my life and I think it's time for me to know the truth; mother, father, brother, past, _and_ Pandora's Box be damned!" She pointed to the door. "A MONSTER, one that only Uryū and I could see, ATTACKED us out of the blue! It tried to kill _ME_!" June took a breath to calm herself before she grabbed the towel and began to clean up the mess she'd made earlier with her tea. "Regardless if I die or not, I deserve to know. At least then, it will give me some closure about my mother, and maybe lead me to the truth..."

 _That's what I'm afraid of, Baby June. That's what we're all afraid of…_

With a heavy heart and light rub of his stubble, Kisuke surrendered to June's pleas before sipping his tea just as casually as he could. In all honestly, Kisuke was quite proud of the woman June had become in the wake of her mother's death. She was strong-willed, intelligent, and stubborn. And most of all, she was a survivor. Most people in her position would have folded under the pressure, committed seppuku; but June had used it as fuel to keep herself going. It was her most admirable quality.

 _Just like her mother and the rest of her family._

Kisuke nodded lightly with a small smile crossing his features.

"Alright, Miss June. You asked for it. This might hurt but…" Kisuke then extended his hand across the table. "…just take my hand. It'll all be over soon."

June couldn't believe what she was hearing. Take his hand? Was _he_ on drugs? However, June's rationale kicked in and although the mere thought of touching this man right now would probably make her vomit the tea she'd just imbibed, she yearned to know her past. She yearned to fill those holes in her memory. She needed to know. Her hand slid across the table to rest in his and almost instantly, two things she'd never thought would happen in her life, happened. Simultaneously.

Had she been paying more attention she would have noticed that the tea had been laced with a mild, slow acting opiate and it was then that it finally kicked in. No wonder Kisuke grew flowers in the back garden and never let anyone touch them. _That creep! I should smother him in his sleep!_ As June struggled to keep herself awake she wondered if Kisuke had known this all along, that she'd eventually come to him for answers.

Whatever the case she was cast from her thoughts as a bright flash erupted from Kisuke's fingers, rendering her paralyzed. All she could do as the fog crept into her mind was allow her body to fall onto the table with a soft thunk. Kisuke took the cue to scoop her up into his arms and take her to a bedroll nearby. He laid her on her back and rested on one knee above her head. Before the unconsciousness completely consumed her, all she saw was a soft golden light emitting from the bottom of his cane and boom, she was tugged under.

Once he was sure the memories were returned to her permanently, including a little suggestion from Kisuke and that she wouldn't wake until morning; Kisuke hefted her back into his arms so he could take her unconscious form back to her apartment. At least then she'd wake in a familiar place and this would all seem like a bad dream. This also aided Kisuke so that he could reinforce the kidō barrier he'd erected around her apartment without June actually catching him red handed.

As Kisuke set June down in her bed and tucked her in, he just hoped she would eventually forgive him.

Until then, he'd wait and watch the beginning of the end.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey again. You're back? That's freaking awesome! Thanks for reading and favoriting. Seriously. You guys are beautiful people and I hope that I'm entertaining you to the best of my ability. Sorry for the slow updates. It's been a rough couple of months, seriously. But I'm getting there. :)**

 **I thought it was time to shift the focus a bit. Here's some filler to add a little humor and a bit of angst and useless drama to cut through the underlying seriousness of this story. Kirei is just fun as hell and fun to write. But don't worry. I'm crafting some ByaJune angsty stuff and wanted to write some humor to clear my pallet. I hope you enjoy because I couldn't stop laughing when I was writing this.**

 **Feedback (not flaming) is greatly appreciated as it helps me craft something entertaining.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or any other aspects that seem familiar in mainstream media. Only the OCs in the story are mine and mine alone.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki snorted dismissively when he casually stepped from the senkaimon, the ends of his fluttering silver-white heirloom barely clearing the sliding shoji doors before the portal disappeared in a fade of light.

Karakura Town.

 _What a place of utter chaos._

Not only could he sense the spiritual pressures of various members of the 13th division and of those souls which had been exiled here, he couldn't sense any other particular pressures through the dense fog of reiatsu clogging the air and hindering his search. As he regally strode through the disheveled park with his usual stoicism and with his hand firmly wrapped around the hilt of his zanpakutō, he wondered how he was even going to attempt to find this human woman amongst the chaos, let alone hone on her particular spiritual pressure long enough to track her movements.

Byakuya knew he had to succeed because his pride just wouldn't allow a failure. It would have been a disgrace to the Kuchiki Clan, as well as to the haori he wore just as proudly as he wore that heirloom scarf and kenseikan. While he physically combed through the remaining evidence of the attack, confirming Ukitake and Rukia's reports, he vowed upon the very laws he was sworn to uphold that he would protect this woman with his life if he had to. He would fight for her, bleed for her, and do whatever was necessary to complete this mission.

But the first order of business? Seek out Urahara Shop as he was instructed and get filled in on the more sensitive details of the woman with the snow white hair that he was most certain Kisuke would have access to.

* * *

Kirei Kaizoku found herself sneaking into the clandestine and cavernous grotto beneath Sōkyoku Hill that had once been Yoruichi Shihōin and Kisuke Urahara's private training ground where in their youth; they would train for the Gotei. Currently it had become the covert meeting ground in the Seireitei between active Shinigami and the exiled. No one knew of this place save for a very select few, and it made it just that much painless to meet as the cavern itself masked reiatsu, creating a proverbial dead zone within the Soul Society. Kirei had been called here by Yoruichi through their special means of communication, which was a method that stayed under the radar of the Captains as well as the rest of Gotei 13, and felt obliged to meet her since she'd known Yoruichi since she was old enough to hold chopsticks properly.

Had any Captains or Lieutenants, or _anyone_ from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads for that matter caught sight of a 4th Seat and one who knew the laws fairly well, conversing with one of the exiled without bringing them before the Captain-Commander, she'd be tried and probably exiled herself. Or worse: sentenced to spend the rest of her days in the Central Great Underground Prison.

There was so much undercover shit Kirei had done in her young life and even as a Soul Reaper that she could have gone to prison for and it made the crimson haired beauty chuckle to herself as she executed a perfect hohō maneuver to propel herself towards the back of the training ground. She expertly maneuvered through the rocky and desert themed terrain, using special jumping points on the rocks to rebound from, and landed right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the entire cavern as well as the hot springs.

Once there she found exactly who she was looking for, standing there in her orange short coat and cream colored wraps around her arms, with her violet locks swaying in the breeze.

"You're late, Kirei-chan."

Kirei snorted and folded her arms over her torso as she stood next to the woman of almost equal height, the light breeze whispering over the terrain ruffling the crimson fringe around her face. "Thanks, Okaasan. That's a _great_ observation," she mulled with sarcasm prevalent in her tone, "but you forget, you're kinda technically exiled right now and I could be fucked if they found out I'm even here."

"That's no excuse." Yoruichi shook her head at the woman molded after her own heart.

"Yeah, well. Too bad. Deal with it." Kirei shot her a smirk before she sighed lightly, her demeanor shifting to one of stern seriousness. " _Central 46_ sent Kuchiki Taichou to watch over her and they sealed the files from all of us. This is going to be a hell of a lot more difficult to accomplish than we'd imagined."

"That's exactly what I told Kisuke when I'd heard." Yoruichi's expression never wavered. _Which I'm assuming caused a raucous amongst the ranks,_ she thought as her expression turned to Kirei. "Has anything changed in the Seireitei since Byakuya-bō left?"

"Nope." Kirei pursed her lips and her eyebrows furrowed as her lavender grey eyes locked with her adoptive mother's. "It's been business as usual." Kirei shrugged casually. "Nothing's changed. No one's even made a move except my team. It's unnerving. It's like they're waiting for something."

"Patience, Kirei." Yoruichi chuckled softly. "The time will come and when it does the Seireitei will be turned upside down and you'll have more than your fair share of glory to reap. But for now, what have you found out from the Archives?"

"About that…" Kirei rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she began the story of the archives…

* * *

 _The night couldn't have been more perfect for this mission. The moon was ensconced behind a thick layer of clouds and the entire Soul Society was cast in twilight, only to be faintly illuminated by the intermittently scattered streetlamps lining the dirt paths. The gusty wind that hissed through the various shihakushōs earlier had died down to a hushed whisper, bringing with it a fog that seemed to hang on the air, disrupting the field of vision. It was the perfect cover._

 _The clock had struck two, and it was time._

 _Three women veiled in all black cloaks and whose determined eyes were obscured by their hoods, quietly snuck out of the 11th division's barracks, easily creeping past and altogether avoiding the sparsely scattered late night guards patrolling through the dead streets of the Seireitei. They made it a point to mask their reiatsu as not to set off any alarms as they slowly made their way to their destination: the Archives. Thankfully, all three women had all done their part in this mission to make damn sure it was a success because a failure meant a harsh consequence that none of them desired._

 _Earlier, Rukia had snuck into her brother's private study to retrieve their salvation since he was distracted by that mission in the World of the Living. Within the locked bottom drawer and hidden under a mountain of paperwork was a small silver key that would unlock the part of the Archive they sought. The Family Records. By an eon long tradition, the Kuchiki Clan had been charged with compiling and protecting the history of Soul Society and only the Head of the Clan possessed the key to the archive. Rukia knew she couldn't just ask Byakuya for the key without a mountain of questions being thrown her way, and once she retrieved the key she went along with her day as though nothing had happened._

 _Kirei had the task of checking in with the various divisions to secretly track the schedules of the nighttime guards. She had grown up in the Rukon with the 9th's Lieutenant, Shūhei Hisagi, and virtually raised him as she'd had a few years on him and considered him her little brother. And because she'd known him so familiarly and he'd hung on her every word since, she used that opening and a persuasive tongue to grant her access to the 9th division's inner sanctum. The moment he turned his back to handle a printing press error, she stealthily took note of the nightly schedule before hurrying out of the division with a promise of a pricey bottle of sake following her._

 _Nanao, on the other hand, checked in with Rangiku about **her** schedule. Had Kirei approached her best friend and asked what she was doing that night, all suspicions would have been raised, and it would have been the end of the line for the mission. Thankfully, Nanao got the information out of her that she was staying in to finish up some paperwork she'd been given by the Captain of the 10th Division, Tōshirō Hitsugaya. This meant, Rangiku would probably be drunk by the time they convened. Then, she casually procured a map of the Archives before retiring to her room to prepare. _

_To say that suspicions had arisen amongst the Lieutenants was an understatement._

 _Also, had Shunsui and Jūshirō not been on their side and did some extra inquiring of their own with the other Captains, this would have proved difficult for Kirei and Nanao to justify to anyone, let alone Captain Commander Yamamoto. Thankfully, it was just a few random members of the 9th Division meandering about, so this should have proven easy for the trio of females._

 _But of course, nothing ever goes as planned._

 _The moment the trio made it around a corner and ducked into an alcove near the Archives to avoid being spotted by the shadow of a Soul Reaper; Kirei heard a familiar voice whispering on the wind. Nanao, knowing exactly who it was, sighed in resignation and shook her head and since Rukia didn't want to be caught, she slunk farther into the shadows and held her breath._

 _"I'll handle this. Just stay out of sight, okay?" Kirei whispered before she ducked out and ungracefully snatched her blonde best friend into the alcove across from the other women._

 _"I thought you had a date with paperwork? I **knew** you were lying to Nana, Rangiku." Kirei whispered in agitation as she folded her arms over her chest, tilting her head upwards in playful disgust. _

_"I **knew** it! How dare you do something drastic without telling **me**!" Rangiku whined lightly as she rested her hands on her best friend's forearms, her breasts dangerously spilling forth through her shihakushō. "C'mon. Tell me what's up. I want in." _

_Kirei rolled her eyes before sighing deeply. "Listen, Rangiku. I don't want you involved, okay? You're…"_

 _"You were going to say I'm not cut out for this, weren't you?" The blonde pouted and moved her hands off Kirei's forearms, folding her arms indignantly under her bust as her eyebrows furrowed._

 _"No, I wasn't going to say that." Kirei rubbed the back of her neck as that all too familiar smirk crossed her face, the same familiar blush creeping across her cheeks as she kept her eyes away from the proverbial pink elephant in front of her._

 _Rangiku was about to reply sweetly before they heard Nanao and Rukia's voice, speaking with another person. It threw Kirei and Rangiku off and as they both hid deeper into the crevice, they both heard yet another familiar voice._ What else can fucking go wrong _, Kirei breathed as she marched across the street and glared as Shūhei's muscular frame came into view as he was resting against the wall with his arms folded over his chest._

 _Rangiku moseyed over with a knowing smirk, wrapping her arm around Nanao's shoulders, which Nanao looked quite agitated about before Shūhei engaged his axiomatic elder sibling._

 _"I **knew** you were up to something the moment you showed up at my door. What are you three.. er, four up to this time?" Shūhei smirked. _

_Rukia shot Kirei her signature, reserved for only Kirei, kind of death glares and threw up her hands. "See? This is what I get for trusting a loudmouth!"_

 _"Hey! I'm not a loudmouth you pompous little Noble shit! I oughta kick your ass right here!"_

* * *

"And _that's_ when it went sour and Rukia punched me." Kirei sighed and rubbed her now frowning face as her deep rooted anger with the outspoken Noble midget resurfaced, causing a fire to blaze through her nerves.

A laugh bellowed from Yoruichi's chest before she patted Kirei's back to try to mockingly comfort her. "Trust me, it's not the first time a Shihōin and Kuchiki bumped heads. Remember that time I told you about-"

Kirei purposefully cut off Yoruichi because she'd heard the stories of the Noble and the Goddess, at least that's what the legend was called now, and didn't want to hear it for the hundredth time.

"Yes. Many times. Now, can I tell you what happened, or are we going to go down memory lane. Again. Because honestly, I don't care anymore." Kirei looked over at Yoruichi with playfully furrowed eyebrows as she continued on with her story.

* * *

 _The five conspirators easily made their way through the fog and effortlessly to the Archives. And since Shūhei had ever so graciously accompanied them with a promise to keep tight-lipped since he was involved, he'd actually convinced the guards to just walk away and do something else for the evening, which resulted in Kirei, as well as Nanao and Rukia's mood turning for the better since the evening didn't result in some extra altercation that could have added to their records. The night was turning out for the better as they entered the Archives._

 _It was exactly what it sounded like: sprawled out before them and only illuminated by the rays of moonlight cutting through the fog and streaming through the dust covered windows was a labyrinth of Archived knowledge. Yes, on these shelves sat general knowledge about the Soul Society as a whole and its history, a history of the founding Captains (to which Kirei looked up to the founding Captain of the Fifth Division, Izumi Nomiya), genealogies of the Five Great Noble Families, and many other documents, scrolls, books, artifacts, and the like. Even the Zanpakutō and its wielders were listed somewhere within the labyrinth. Aside from the deeper and more classified information of the Court Guard Squads and Central 46 that was housed in the Daireishokairō, the Archive held everything you'd need for a search like this._

 _However, the quintet didn't get far before a snake crossed their path. A snake so slimy and ruthless that even Rukia cringed when she heard that distinct, venom laced voice._

 _"Now, here I find myself out on one of my evening walks and look what I've found?" The silver haired and always cunningly grinning Captain Gin Ichimaru, appeared out from behind one of the bookshelves. After acknowledging them, he moved out into the middle of the hallway, blocking their path towards their intended goal, his hands shoved into his sleeves. "Are we causing trouble this evening, Kaizoku-kun?"_

 _Rukia froze in place as Kirei and Rangiku exchanged similarly annoyed glances. Nanao suspiciously rolled up the map and slid it in her sash before looking over at Shūhei, which seemed more cool and casual than he should have been. After the initial confusion with the quintet settled, it was Kirei, who didn't have as much to lose as the rest of them, stepped forwards and put her hands on her hips, boldly challenging the Captain._

 _"So Ichimaru Taichou, you mean to tell us your evening walks consist on being in the Archives after hours?" A small smirk crossed Kirei's face as she blocked Gin's limited field of vision so Nanao and Shūhei could covertly drag a frozen in fear Rukia and a confused Rangiku deeper into the labyrinth and towards the back of the Archives. Nanao figured if Kirei could keep Gin busy, she and the buxom blonde could get the information they needed and snuck out of here without consequence._

 _The silver-haired Captain and the 4th seat exchanged verbal low blows until the rest of the crew were out of earshot. It was then that Kirei frowned and brushed the crimson fringe from her eyes, her voice still hushed as she feared being heard by the other Lieutenants._

 _"So, why are you really here, Gin? Because I know for a **fact** your walks don't bring you this far away from the 3rd's barracks." Kirei shifted on her feet, her body language revealing the impatience she always seemed to have with this particular man. _

_"Well," he began slowly, letting the word draw out annoyingly because he also knew how impatient the 4th seat seemed to be now that she was allied with the 11th. "I was sent here for… this." He fished out an old and yellowed scroll with his spindly fingers from his obi, and Kirei briefly caught a glimpse of the unfamiliar wax seal. As he rolled his wrist to hand it to her, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "But… if you want it, you will owe me Kirei-kun." The eerily disturbing smile grew wider across his face as he opened an eye to hungrily drink in the buxom woman in front of him. "And if you don't come when I call, I will make sure you are most definitely executed by the Sōkyoku."_

 _After taking a long moment to think about the consequences of taking this document from the man she loathed almost as much as she loathed the dried persimmons he ate, and knowing that Gin's threats were only as idle as his hands, Kirei sealed the deal with the snake by taking the parchment from his extended hand. Immediately thereafter, she dropped it as just holding onto it shocked her hand into numbness. Her eyebrows knitted in anger as she shook her hand out instinctively, giving Gin one of her death glares._

 _"What the fuck, Gin? Seriously? That could have killed me!"_

 _A low, yet darkly sinister chuckle echoed off the wall of books they were wedged between before he shrugged with one shoulder, his usual façade dropping. "It happened to me too when I first retrieved it and I can only assume the longer you hold onto it, the worse it will get. It's… protected by kidō that only one **particular** person can dispel." Gin hoped like hell Kirei would catch the subtle hint he'd dropped, his expression turning a bit sullen. "Her time is ticking, watashi no ai. I don't know how much time she will have left." _

_Kirei picked up the scroll and shoved it into a pocket in her cloak, shaking her head at Gin's expression. "You look like a lost puppy when you do that… watashi no ai." The weight seemed to fall off Kirei's shoulders as yes; she definitely caught the hint in both regards. Her hand moved to rest delicately on his chest as deep within her eyes, she gave the man in front of her a subtle nod of thanks._

 _As much as Kirei despised Gin for more than his fair share of shit he'd done to her when they'd always crossed paths, she truly felt pity for this skeletal man. He'd been the one of the reasons she'd joined the Gotei, just to watch his back as he'd watched his 'master's.' Part of Kirei did it not for Gin himself but for her best friend Rangiku. Although Rangiku didn't know how deep the love of her life was into the grand scheme of this entire plan, and what his actual role in the scheme was, Kirei knew and knew too much if you asked her. However, Kirei dutifully played her part as the second part of the serpentine double helix that they had become over a century, and vowed to make sure Gin kept his vow so he could finally give Rangiku all that she'd ever wanted like he'd promised Kirei he would._

 _Kirei was so deep into her thoughts she hadn't realized Gin had wrapped his arm around her waist and had pulled her flush against him, his free hand resting on her upper back, his lips finding hers to the disgust of the party that had accompanied her. Despite wanting to beat the shit out of Gin right then (and probably would later), Kirei played the part and wrapped an arm around his neck, her stomach curling as he tasted like death and dried persimmons. She wanted to gag, to vomit, but she held it convincingly as Gin intentionally deepened the kiss, shoving his tongue deep within Kirei's mouth._

 _Behind them Rukia seemed to lose all color as she watched the display with widened eyes; Nanao just seemed to hold the disappointed expression on her face; Shūhei grimaced and gagged a bit, turning away as not to vomit right here on the spot; and tears of sorrow and anger welled in Rangiku's eyes. The moment Kirei heard Shūhei gag, she knew she'd have to find a way to explain this off to Rangiku because she doubted her best friend and woman crush, for a lack of a better term, would ever forgive her for this. Short of telling Rangiku the true reason; which angered Kirei because now she didn't know even if there was a reason; she had to tell her something._

 _Kirei broke the kiss and whispered against Gin's lips that she was going to kill him the first chance she got before snatching herself from his arms and fixing her shihakushō. With a huff of annoyance and a casual wipe of her lips on the back of her hand she looked at the group, most notably at Rangiku's back, as the busty blonde was now storming out of the archives, her pink scarf and blonde hair the only thing following her. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she tried to rationalize this in her mind before it was Gin who surprisingly covered for her._

 _"Okay, little Lieutenants. Back to you quarters before I'm forced to report you. Bye-Bye." Gin waved at them before turning and heading in the direction of a secret entrance only he'd known about._

 _And with that the group meandered out of the archives and parted ways before Kirei found herself in her own room, curled up on her bed, and wondering what exactly she'd gotten herself into._

* * *

"You kissed Gin? _Gin Ichimaru_?" Yoruichi turned to Kirei with an amused look, a laugh hanging on the edge of her tone.

"No. As I said, _he_ kissed _me_. And it was disgusting. I _still_ have nightmares about it." Kirei frowned deeply, her face contorted into a disgusted scowl as she wrapped her arms around herself, shaking lightly at the mental pain that man had once again, caused her.

Yoruichi just couldn't hold it back any longer and the obnoxious laugh broke from somewhere deep within her gut to echo off the cavernous walls. The Goddess of Flash bent over, her eyes watering as she laughed as hard as her body would allow her. Kirei on the other hand, allowed Yoruichi to have her fill of the moment while she moved to a rock nearby and sat down, covering her face with her hands and resting her elbows on her knees because she knew once Kisuke got a hold of this story, she'd never hear the end of it.

"Are you done? Really?" Kirei mulled morosely though the slits in her fingers.

A few good moments passed before Yoruichi collected herself and straightened up, using her index finger to casually wipe the residual saline from her eyes. "Maybe?"

A long and exasperated sigh sounded from Kirei's direction before one of her hands slid in her shihakushō and fished out the yellowed parchment and with closed eyes, handed it in the direction of her still lightly jesting mother figure. "Can we get back on track please? I got me some sake to drink and a best friend to deal with."

Transpiring between the two women was a long moment of silence before Yoruichi took hold of the parchment. And just as Kirei and Gin had trouble keeping their own hands on it, Yoruichi dropped it, followed by a soft yip. "Ouch." After picking it up off the ground, she gave the scroll a curious look. "That's a really old kidō spell tied to the seal. You sure this was just _casually_ lying around in the archives? Something like this…"

"…is what I'm afraid of. And we all should be." Kirei's eyes lifted to meet Yoruichi's as they filled with unease over this entire situation. "Rukia figured out that the kidō spell or _spells_ used to seal that scroll are ancient. So ancient in fact that there's only a small handful of people old enough to know what spell was used, and can identify the person who originally cast it. On top of that little nugget, the page that had the full crest on it is ripped as though someone tore it out so no one could identify it." Kirei rose to her feet, "Whatever is in that scroll and its origins, someone was trying to keep well hidden. And we don't even know if the person who cast it is even alive or here. So, it's a dead end."

"What book did you find the torn page in again?" With a distant tone, Yoruichi kept her eyes glued to the all too familiar symbol, wondering what secrets were hidden within this scroll.

"I'm not sure." Kirei shrugged. "It was a pretty old one where most of the writing was scribbled in and faded. It looked like a someone's personal journal. Gin took it with him when he left." She scratched her head in sheer and utter astonishment. "That scroll is a serious enigma."

 _Just like the owner of that journal,_ Yoruichi mused in her mind before nodding in understanding of what she now needed to do and with a quick motion, tucked the scroll into her obi. Yoruichi gave Kirei a stern look as knew Kirei like the back of her hand, and knew that the crimson haired woman wouldn't give this search up so easily with just a specifically placed phrase or two, not with the inclusion of Gin. There were too many factors playing into this now and for fear Yoruichi could blow the lid off this entire thing way too early, she decided to attempt to dispel Kirei's curious mind.

With a deep inhale, Yoruichi began. "Your job here is done, Kirei. I'll take this to Kisuke and I want you to go back to your normal duties." She put a finger up to stop Kirei from protesting, "I know you want to find out more, but Central 46 sealed the records about this woman and any information pertaining to her. _If_ this scroll _does_ pertain to her, then leave it in the hands of Kisuke and Kuchiki Taichou. I don't want you getting into trouble over this as you're my eyes and ears here. You understand?"

Kirei frowned deeply but understood exactly what the elder woman was trying to say before she nodded lightly and pursed her lips. "You make my life entirely too difficult."

"I know." And before Kirei knew what had happened, Yoruichi flash-stepped out of the cavernous grotto in haste.

Now deeply determined to get to the bottom of this come hell or high water, Kirei waited a few reserved and thoughtful moments before did the same, quickly flash-stepping to her chambers within the 11th's barracks. Thankfully, Nanao and Rukia were still there and as she slid the door closed and she lifted her eyes to meet theirs, a sly grin crossed her face.

"Did she buy it? The _entire_ story?" Nanao queried nervously as she stood from behind the table in Kirei's room, hoping that Kirei was bringing some good news. Rukia stayed fairly quiet yet her eyes were also trained on Kirei.

"As far as I know, yeah. She hauled ass out of there after I gave her the scroll so, I'm assuming she's going to Kisuke's. And honestly, Kisuke _will_ figure it out eventually. Time's ticking…" Kirei flopped down in front of the table as she poured herself some sake. "Mission accomplished?"

"For the love of all things sacred, that was intense." Nanao sighed in relief as she sat back down behind the table, took off her glasses, and rested her head against the table.

"You guys worry too much." Renji casually chimed in from the couch on the other side of the room as he slid his sunglasses over his eyes.

"Or not enough." Rukia thought out loud as she indifferently scanned through the various books on Kirei's table. As much as she despised Kirei through and through, she was eternally grateful none of the 11th ever stepped foot in her room, or even on her side of the barracks. It made her room the best hiding place. However, Rukia's expression turned for the worst before she sighed. "Does Yoruichi know we know who that seal belongs to?"

* * *

With an annoyed expression darkening his features more and more with every second that ticked by, Byakuya Kuchiki found himself diligent and cross-legged in a large tree outside of an apartment building that just the obnoxious color of the exterior paint alone unnerved him. He was the 28th Head of the Kuchiki Clan, an active member of one of the Great Noble Families, and a proficient Captain. So why had it been _him_ that had been delegated to babysitting again? Why was _he_ specifically chosen for this asinine mission when he could have been back at Soul Society, sifting for someone noble enough to fill the gap of Lieutenant for the 6th division? For the life of him, Byakuya just couldn't rationalize his involvement no matter how hard he thought about it.

The "extra" information he'd received from Kisuke beyond his mission parameters was dodgy at best, and Kisuke hadn't given him much more than what he'd already known, past her lifelong tale of woe, which bored Byakuya to tears. What he'd managed to piece together from all the fragments given to him by Head Captain Yamamoto, Kisuke, and Tessai; was that this woman held extraordinary powers within herself; the question still remained as to why Central 46 took such an active interest in her to begin with when they could have just executed her and have been done with it. Byakuya deduced she had to be of some importance and value to the Quincy, Gotei, and Central 46, but to what effect was still up for debate.

Hopefully he'd find out before long as this song and dance was starting to become boring to him. However, it got kicked up a notch when the light to her bedroom turned on and she stepped out onto the balcony to lean on the railing as she stared out. Byakuya did a good job of masking himself from her sight, but from the moment he locked eyes with her petite form, he was distracted by her sheer beauty.

Byakuya had been surrounded by beautiful women before; hell, he'd been engaged to one and married to another. Still this woman, this _human_ , was utterly beautiful beyond words. Her messy alabaster hair simmered in the moonlight, flowing around her face in the light breeze. He could even make out her dazzling sapphire eyes, which seemed to sparkle like the jewel of corresponding color.

It took a moment of staring intensely, but he had to recompose himself. What was wrong with him? Why was he all of a sudden acting this way? He was a noble man; lived by a very specific set of moral and rules. There could never be anything that could happen between the two because A, she was human. B, she wasn't of a Noble Family or birth. Or, that's what he continued to remind himself.

Yet here he was, staring wide eyed at her like a teenager in love, studying her facial expression with a keen interest. It wasn't until she meandered back into her apartment was Byakuya snapped from his subtle stalking, and with great embarrassment, closed his eyes and waited until morning.


End file.
